Percy Jackson and the Fall from Olympus
by pjfan01
Summary: In an AU during the Last Olympian, the prequel to Percy Jackson and the Spear of Power chronicles Percy's rollercoaster of experiences in politics, love, and loyalty as he battles with Kronos and struggles to unite his rowdy Olympian family. But as Kronos warns him, things are not always so simple. Rated T for slightly mature themes.
1. Prologue: Humiliation

Hi all! Wow! It's been 4 years since I uploaded new content on this site! So, an explanation- I've had some free time right before college starts, and I cranked this one out really quickly. It's a short and sweet prequel to Percy Jackson and the Spear of Power (which could definitely benefit from a rewrite as well, but I'm not promising anything) that lays out the course of events that would take place during the Last Olympian in my AU. You'll notice many similarities between the two, and I have adapted a lot of that work into this. But there are very large differences as you read farther into this new story that I think you may find intriguing. I would love reviews if you have the chance, but more so that you just enjoy my story. Again, it's short and sweet- I didn't provide all that much embellishment- but it tells the important points of the story pretty well. If you'd like to see the minor differences that take place throughout the first 4 books, I'll provide a summary document sometime to catch you up on any major differences. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

P.S. I have a pretty large backlog of chapter (like I'm really almost done) so I can confidently say the likelihood I finish this is hovering in the high 90 percents.

Prologue

Humiliation

"It's really quite the sad story, you see."

"Well, I've got time."

Kronos sighed and leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling of the boat. "It all came so quick, brother."

Hyperion nodded. "Well, let it all out."

"Very well."

"Hey, hey! You can't get me!"

"Yesh I can!"

Kronos laughed, jogging lightly while cradling a football in one hand. A tiny child tread behind him, her pigtails bouncing behind her as she pursued the massive bespectacled figure. Slowly, she caught up to him, and eventually jumped onto his leg. He laughed, carefully faking a fall so as not to harm the child. They laughed happily, rolling around in the mud.

"Jesus, Crowley!" shouted a man off in the distance. Kronos smiled in response. "She's going to a fancy dinner with me tonight!"

"They've never seen a kid roll around in the mud?" asked Kronos, chuckling a bit.

"Yeah!" shouted the girl, jumping up and down. "Mud! Mud! Mud!"

"Come on, man," said the man. "I need her clean, for God's sake!"

"Alright, alright," said Kronos. "Sorry for having some fun, Mr. Beauregard."

"Crowley, for Christ's sake, we've known each other for 3 years now," said the man, chuckling. "I don't need the sass."

Kronos patted Jim Beauregard on the back. "Well, you get back to making the money, Jim. I'll make sure she washes off and gets dressed in nice clothes, okay? God, why do they have you taking a 6 year old to a business meeting?"

"Because she's cute," said Jim. "Even executives need a little levity once in awhile. It's just for an hour or so. They just wanna meet her."

"Who wouldn't want to meet that little bundle of joy?" asked Kronos. "Well, leave it to me. You go deal with whatever it is you need to do."

As Jim headed inside the house and Kronos explained to Silena why playtime had to end, he caught a glimpse of a striking young woman approaching them out of the corner of his eye. At first, he simply assumed her to be a normal passerby. Then, his eyes focused on her face- she wore an angry grimace, and did not seem to be bearing good will.

"Hey," shouted Kronos, stepping backwards towards the house. He picked up Silena slowly, wary of the woman approaching him. "Who're you?"

"I think the better question is, who're you, and what are you doing holding my daughter?"

Kronos froze, the realization dawning on him. He grew angry, but in the back of his mind he could sense fear of being discovered. "Y-Your daughter? I haven't seen you around."

"I'm busy," shot back Aphrodite. "Run along inside now, sweetie," she said with a calmer tone. Silena wiggled out of Kronos' arms and headed for the door. Aphrodite took a step forward, pointing her finger accusingly at Kronos.

"Look," she sneered, pressing against his chest. "I don't know who the Hell you are, but I can sense that you have power… and that you know who I am. So let's not play any games. I don't want you near my daughter-

"That is bullshit," said Kronos, attempting to stand up straighter. "You're not around for her. Gods forbid I give your daughter a little bit of time to have fun-

"I have a job to do!" roared Aphrodite.

"Well then don't go around fucking every hot guy you meet!"

She slapped him across the face, and he grimaced. "That's none of your business-

"It's their business," said Kronos, pointing back at the house. "It's Jim's business. It's Silena's business. I know the gods are busy, I understand. And to some extent, that's okay- it's just life. But every one of you sits up on your gilded throne in the sky and waits for the other parent and for some run-down camp to take care of your kids. That's not okay. You need to show her love- you need to protect her! I never thought I'd have to act as a surrogate mother for a six-year-old-

"That's all well and good for you to say," said Aphrodite. "I don't care, though. You can see my daughter if you want. I won't turn down a little extra care if you're truly Jim's friend. But don't get too cozy here. I'll have my eye on you, whoever you are. And if I find out one thing I don't like…" She made a cutting motion across her throat, and then turned around to back away.

Of course he couldn't die. Kronos was immortal. But he could be cut up into a million pieces, and it hurt. And she could keep him away from Silena and Jim. She could leave her daughter to die to the monsters and deities vying for power in Olympus. He'd seen it happen so many times. So he stared warily at her as she disappeared, biding his time, hoping one day an opportunity would arise. One day, he would overthrow the Olympians and make up for his mistakes. And then…

"I'll have my little slice of paradise," he muttered. "Just me, Rhea, Jim, and the kid. That's all I want."

But the gods and the titans were never ones for small dreams. And he was bound to let his anger get out of hand once more.


	2. Summary of previous AU events

Summary of Important Events Prior to _The Rise and Fall of Percy Jackson_

 _The Lightning Thief_ :

-While facing off against Medusa, Percy is caught in her gaze, but he fails to be turned to stone. He assumes this is a fluke, but keeps it in mind for the future.

 _The Sea of Monsters:_

-Again, in another straight of luck for Percy, the Sirens fail to seduce him with their singing voice, and he is able to move around freely without covering his ears.

-Percy becomes good friends with Silena following their meeting at the stables. Throughout the entirety of the three books before the Last Olympian, their friendship grows. Oftentimes, they will wrestle or play capture the flag together, or make jokes at Beckendorf's expense.

("But Charlie, it's totally okay because you know we both love you!")

("I was aware that one of you loved me… I'm not sure I want to get in the middle of you two, though. I mean, if this is gonna tear your friendship apart…I don't want to die being fought over!)

 _The Titan's Curse:_

-Percy meets Silena's uncle/godfather, a bespectacled man by the name of Crowley. He feels the man to be kind and warm, but gets a hint of the man's darker side when Crowley falls into a state of depression as they leave.

-Later on, Kronos is revived, but he is weak and must regain power. Luke lives despite Kronos' arrival on Earth, so at the beginning of this story, he is still alive.

 _The Battle of the Labyrinth:_

-Daedalus is in this version of events much more resistant to giving up his own life to destroy the labyrinth, but ultimately, after Percy watches him struggle with a strange dream, he vows to surrender his life, and tells Percy that he believes Percy can bring the gods back together. Afterwards, he sacrifices his life to save the camp. Much of Kronos' army is destroyed.


	3. Chapter 1: The Festival

PART 1: PERCY JACKSON, MAN AMONG GODS

Chapter 1

The Festival

For all the years he'd lived at Camp Half-Blood and slept on a rickety old mattress in the Poseidon cabin, Percy had never regretted the fact that he'd stumbled upon the little cracked gem of a camp. Sure, it was like an old Summer camp, and the days were not always comfortable, but it had its charm. And the dancing- well, when the Greek gods threw a dance party, it tended to be pretty fun. Especially if you were the center of attention.

"HEY, HEY, PASS HIM TO ME!" shouted Silena from across the dancefloor. "WE'VE GOT SOMEONE SPECIAL WAITING FOR HIM!"

Hermes and Apollo giddily pushed him across the dancefloor, despite a somewhat audible groan from Athena deep in the crowd. The hands passed over him quickly, first Poseidon and Dionysus, then onto Beckendorf and one of the Stoll brothers (it was hard to tell with the crowd), and then into the arms of Silena, and finally she whirled him around into the arms of…

"Hey," said Annabeth, laughing.

"Hey," he smiled.

And they danced for awhile, enjoying the time together. He had to cede his time with Annabeth for a little bit- Tyson had insisted upon a dance with Annabeth, and he couldn't readily say no to one of the heroes of the day, much less look his little but larger brother in the eyes and turn him down. So Percy decided to wait it out with the final hero of the day and his girlfriend.

"Some party, huh?" asked Grover, chortling and patting him on the back. "And all the food, too… well, I shouldn't eat so much, but it's all so good."

"Hey, save some for me!" said Juniper.

"Yeah, it's definitely pretty great," said Percy, nodding. He smiled. "Hey, we deserve it after all of that effort back there."

"Well, you deserve it most of all," said Grover. "I don't know what you said to convince Daedalus to… you know… destroy the labyrinth, but you saved the whole camp, Percy."

"I'm not really sure what I did either, to tell you the truth," said Percy. "It's all a little hard to believe."

"I'll tell you what you did- you shut all of the monsters out of camp!" said Juniper. "I know you feel guilty about Daedalus, Percy- Grover's told me everything- but you really ought to enjoy the party. He made that choice, not you."

"Yeah, I guess," muttered Percy. Grover and Juniper looked at each other, but they said nothing for a few seconds. Percy looked up and laughed nervously. "I'm really fine, you guys, I promise." They remained silent, staring at him with even wider eyes. "Uh, guys?"

"Percy Jackson," said an all-too-familiar voice behind him. "The boy I've been looking for."

He shivered. "Uh… hi, Athena."

He turned to face her. As always, she towered above him, gazing down with those steely gray eyes. She looked a lot like her daughter… if her daughter constantly wanted to murder him. "Do you mind if I have a seat? I hope I'm not interrupting… but I need to talk to you."

"Go… right ahead," muttered Percy.

Athena sat down next to him- a little too close for comfort, in Percy's opinion- and she smiled at Grover and Juniper. "Do you two mind giving us some privacy? I'd stop and chat- it's been awhile, Grover- but unfortunately Percy and I have some private business to attend to."

"Not at all!" said Grover, smiling politely. He gave Percy an apologetic glance, and then, nodding to Juniper, took off to dance a bit more.

"What's this all about?" asked Percy. "Private business?"

She sighed. "You can calm down a bit, Percy. Much as I'd like to separate you and my daughter… I can't, especially not today. It's your celebration, after all, and even I have limits to what I can do."

"So then-

"Along with your fatal flaw of loyalty, you lack foresight, Perseus Jackson. Daedalus. Daedalus is my son."

"Shit," he said, louder than he meant to. "Uh, right. Kind of… forgot that."

She smiled. "Right, of course you did. Well, as a matter of fact, I've been trying to hunt down my son for a long time now. I'm talking millennia, Percy. Try as I might, he just wouldn't bite. He feared retribution. So imagine my surprise when a fourteen year-old demigod he'd never met before convinces him to commit suicide-

"It wasn't exactly suicide, in my view-

"When you're this old, Percy, you give up the euphemisms," she said. "I'm not trying to criticize you. You did what you needed. But don't sugarcoat it for yourself. Deadalus killed himself for you."

"Not just for me-

"I suspect otherwise," said Athena. "Any kid could've gone down there and talked to Daedalus. In fact, many have. You're the only one who has commanded his respect."

He studied her face and noticed a kind of sadness to it, so he treaded carefully. "That's… high praise."

"Yes. So what did you do?"

"I don't know!" said Percy. "I mean, look, Athena, I just told him he could save the camp. I told him the truth. That I cared about everybody there, and if they died… I wouldn't have much left."

"Did he say anything else about it? Anything at all, Percy."

Percy racked his brains. "Well… there was one thing."

Her eyes shined just like you'd expect from the goddess of wisdom when she was onto something. "What, Percy?"

"He said… he told me that I had to change the gods. He believed I could do it."

"You mean destroy us," she said, sinking a little. "He wanted you to kill us."

"No. He was clear about that. He doesn't hate the gods. Not all of them, anyways." He paused, realizing how insulting that sounded. "Anyways, he said I could change them. That's really all I remember."

Athena considered this, then nodded. "Well, my son was no idiot, Percy. I don't know what he meant, but I'll be thinking on it." She frowned. "Oh, look. My daughter's done dancing with your… friend. The monster."

"Tyson saved all of your children from an army of Kronos' monsters," said Percy.

"No he didn't," said Athena.

"Ah, yes, I did."

She laughed. "I see. Well, I guess I can't escape Poseidon's progeny today. Go have fun, Perseus Jackson. I suppose it's the least I can do. Just don't have too much fun."

He nodded, and she sank back into the crowd of partygoers. Annabeth had not noticed the conversation, but he headed for her side.

Apollo grabbed Percy by the arm, pulling him away from Annabeth. The music changed- a classic hit, _Zeno the Elean Lover_ , came on over the radio. "Hey, Percy, long time no see!"

"Hey Apollo," said Percy, trying to hide his annoyance. "Yeah, I know. Maybe we should get together some time."

"Yeah, yeah, target practice from high above!" said Apollo, glancing up at the sky. "Always fun, you know! Hey, let's check out the chocolate fountain!"

"I don't mean to be rude, Apollo, but I got the okay from Athena about hanging with Annabeth, so-

"Ah, say no more, my man," said Apollo, laughing. "I won't stand in your way. Go have fun!"

He nodded graciously, turning to find Annabeth. He bumped into a sweating Hermes, who grabbed him by the shoulders. The music changed again, this time to the most popular song of the 90's, _The Hunky Sisyphus_. "Hey, man, do you have a moment to chat-

"The kid's trying to have some fun with his boo," said Apollo, patting his brother on the back. "Maybe… give him some space, Hermes?"

"Maybe I'm not being clear," said Hermes. "I need you. Now."

"Is it really that urgent?" asked Percy.

"Yes."

He glanced over at Annabeth as she wondered around looking for him. "I guess if it's urgent… I can come."

"Thanks, Percy. I know it's a lot to ask."

He followed Hermes, trying to hide his disappointment.

They came upon Beckendorf at the edge of the forest, whistling to himself. He waved at Percy.

"What's going on?" asked Percy.

"It's Kronos," said Hermes. "The Princess Andromeda is heading for the camp."

"Well then-

"They're here on diplomatic terms. Kronos wants to meet with you and Beckendorf."

Percy glanced warily at Beckendorf. "You okay with this, man?"

"I've already signed off."

"What is this about?" asked Percy.

"I'm not sure," said Hermes. "But when I spoke to Hyperion, he insisted that you must meet."

"It's a bit of a risk," said Percy. "What if they capture me?"

"They wouldn't dare. All of the gods are in one place. We've checked out the Princess Andromeda. Kronos would lose nearly all of his naval forces if he tried to capture you. It would be insane to do so. So what do you say?'

"If it'll help Olympus, I'm in," said Percy. "Just make sure you've got my back."

"I promise," said Hermes.

They had flown to the ship without much fanfare- apparently the gods had been notified along with those aboard the ship, but that was it. They landed, and an army of monsters watched them cautiously as they straightened and looked for direction. Luke Castellan emerged from inside the ship, and he approached them, holding himself in an authoritarian fashion.

"Please, the two of you, come," said Luke. "Father."

"Luke," said Hermes, the hurt clear in his voice. "Why are you-

"This is a diplomatic mission," said Luke. "I don't think asking me to become a turncoat is appropriate."

"Calm down, boy," called a deep voice from within the cabin. The towering form of Kronos emerged. His body looked like a giant made of boiling hot magma. Save his extremities, his stone-rough skin was cracked, and one could see the shining orange liquid that made up his interior flowing through his body. Supposedly, he had a more human second form, but clearly he wore the first today to intimidate the boys.

He pushed his way in front of Luke. "I don't care what you say to the boy," said Kronos, "so long as you don't hurt him. He's on my side now, like it or not. That's partially your fault, you know."

"I didn't intend-

"I understand you had the best of intentions, but what's done is done," said Kronos. "Unless you'd like to make up for those intentions, and abdicate. But I won't push you. You can think on that on your own. I'm here to meet with the boys. Please, follow me. Hermes, feel free to leave as you please."

Hermes nodded sadly, squeezed Percy's hands, and disappeared, undoubtedly headed back to camp. Uneasily, the two boys followed Kronos back into the cabin, unsure of what awaited them inside.

Incidentally, it looked the same as last time. A posh hall with a grand table in the middle and glass chandeliers above them. Kronos patted Percy on the back as they entered, something he found mildly alarming. "All the food is for you, boys. I heard from a little birdie I had to compete with a party. Don't be shy."

Percy gave Kronos a look, but the titan only laughed. "It won't kill you. Believe me, I'm not an idiot, Perseus Jackson."

They sat down across the table from him, refusing to eat the food. "What is this about?" demanded Percy.

Kronos studied the food on the table, clearly disappointed his guests weren't eating. He shrugged, and began to dig into some pork barbecue. "Man, you're all missing out," he said through a mouthful of food. "Haven't eaten this good since… well, you know, not exactly gourmet in Tartarus. Right, what's this about? This is about you."

"Us?" asked Beckendorf.

"Er, no offense," said Kronos. "You're here more to support your friend. No, it's about Percy."

"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Always rushing to conclusions, aren't you?" asked Kronos, shifting in his chair. From under the table he brought his scythe, and the two boys cringed in their sears. He laughed. "Oh, calm down. I'm not going to kill you. Isn't it interesting, though? The sharp curve of the blade? Time is dynamic, boys. It does not remain stagnant forever."

"What's your point?" demanded Beckendorf.

"Hm, well, it's been stagnant for awhile now, hasn't it?" asked Kronos. "The gods have been ruling for millennia. And what kind of change has it brought?"

"It doesn't need to change," said Percy. "I get it. The gods bug me. Believe me, you don't have to remind me. I ran into Athena today-

"Oh, so you're just fine with proving my point," sneered Kronos. "Are you so dense as to think that sticking with the gods will merit you a two-story house with a picket fence and Annabeth Chase in your arms, Percy? Athena will murder you before you achieve that."

"I'm not so sure," said Percy. "And even if I didn't, that doesn't mean I like you better. You ate your own children. At least Athena thinks she's protecting her daughter."

Kronos groaned. "Well, I admit I screwed up. But thousands of years do wonders for gods and men alike, Percy. You haven't even given me a chance."

"Percy'll never bow down to the likes of you!" shouted Beckendorf.

Kronos smiled mischievously. "Bow down? Charlie, forgive me, you have no idea what you're talking about."

Beckendorf's cheeks grew pink. "Only my girlfriend calls me Charlie. ONLY MY GIRLFRIEND!"

Kronos laughed. "That's cute."

"What do you mean?" asked Percy, cutting off their banter. "You want me to fight for you."

"Fight for me?" asked Kronos. "No. No. I want you to fight with me. And when the Olympians have been defeated- not killed, mind you, defeated, stripped of their power- then you and Luke can decide upon the future of Olympus."

Percy froze, unsure of whether to trust this man. "But… you must want some power."

"Oh yes, I do," said Kronos. "The power to free my wife and brethren from Tartarus. The power to live where I chose and do what I want. Perhaps even the power to punish one or two of the most egregious Olympians. But don't misunderstand me. I had my time ruling the world. I thought once it stopped, life would be terrible. I was wrong, Perseus Jackson. Have you ever been to Rome? There's a reason they revere me there. It's because I spent time with them. And man, if you've ever been in Rome during the Republic, it's a real treat. How about Paris? And England? No, I'm done with ruling. But I want freedom of movement and limited power over the positions of the Olympians post-war. Those are my terms."

"You can't be serious," muttered Percy.

"I am serious. All I want is a little freedom, Percy. Maybe I haven't spelled out everything. Maybe we'll disagree over some minutiae. But once I finish my conquest of Olympus, I won't turn on you. It'll be your problem, not mine."

"What's the point of telling us all of this?" asked Beckendorf. "I mean, okay, if that's really your plan, it's not terribly evil. Misguided maybe. But why would you need Percy? It's not like he can do much. And why bring me along? We'd both have to agree to your terms, so it lowers your chances."

Kronos smiled knowingly. "Oh, I think Percy can do a lot, actually, Charles. As for why I brought you along, well, he needs a friend by his side."

"What can I do?" asked Percy. "Spit it out."

"If I told you, I'd be giving up one of my greatest chips in the war. I need your word first. On the Styx."

"No," said Percy. "Come on Beckendorf, we're leaving."

Luke stepped in front of them, but Kronos pushed him out of the way. "You don't know what you're walking away from-

"Because you won't tell me," said Percy.

"I'll tell you this, Perseus Jackson," said Kronos, pushing them back towards their seats. "I can't tell you why you're special. But I can prove it to you. Do you really think that when the Sirens failed to seduce you with their song when they sang to you, that was a fluke?"

Percy backed away. "H-How did you know-

"You think Daedalus killed himself for a mere teenager?"

"I-

"Do you truly believe when you looked Medusa straight in her eyes and didn't turn to stone, it was luck?"

Percy felt the words barreling against his chest. "How did you-

"They report to me, Percy. I know all."

"You'll kill my family-

"The gods have painted me to be bad. I understand. But I'm not, Perseus Jackson. You have power. I can teach you to use it. And then you can do with it what you please. I won't touch your father, I won't touch your friends… just dethrone them. What do you say?"

"NO!" shouted Percy, grabbing Beckendorf's hand. "We're leaving. Now."

"Oh Percy," sighed Kronos, "I really did hope we weren't going to have to do this the hard way."

"Your boat is surrounded," said Percy.

"Loyalty?" asked Kronos.

"Huh?"

"Lack of foresight?"

"How did you-

"She doesn't know your flaw, Percy. Only I do. And it's not knowing your own worth. I'm going to rectify that."

Kronos leapt for him with his massive form, grabbing at Percy's exposed neck, but Beckendorf jumped in front of Percy. Kronos picked up Beckendorf and threw him across the room, a rush of blood spilling from his head.

"I don't really want to kill the boy, Percy!" he shouted as his troops began to encircle Percy. "But you're worth a lot to me, boy. Surrender now, and your friend lives."

Percy stared at Kronos and looked around at the mass of monsters encircling him. He knew he couldn't give in to Kronos' demands, if only because Beckendorf would live with guilt the rest of his life. He turned to face his friend, and though the blood gushed readily, he made out a large metallic object in front of him. Percy's eyes widened in realization.

"It's me or both of us!" shouted Beckendorf. He lobbed the bomb across the room.

"NO YOU FOOL!" roared Kronos. He leapt at Beckendorf.

There was no way to save him. Percy realized the second person had given their own life for his sake. He ran out the door past the crowd of monsters and jumped deep into the ocean, a massive explosion rocking the boat behind him as he sunk far into his father's territory.


	4. Chapter 2: Of Pyres and Prophecies

Chapter 2

Of Pyres and Prophecies

The sky buzzed with the sound of withering battle as Percy woke lying on the beach in front of Camp Half-Blood, his ears ringing with the sounds of the explosion. A few shattered remains of the _Princess Andromeda_ had washed ashore alongside him, but his eyes were throbbing, and he had trouble making out much more than that. Slowly, he crawled forward on the beach, and his hand stumbled upon something thick, wet, and squishy. He rubbed his eyes and looked at his inner arm, covered in a thick red liquid.

He realized with mounting disgust that he'd just reached into the stomach of Luke Castellan's dead body. He began to gag, diving back in to the water to wash the refuse off of himself. He looked back at the dead boy. His face had become mangled by the explosion, but in it Percy could still catch a hint of the famous smile he had flashed commonly when he still hung around camp. What an image to burn on your retina, though- the mangled face made him question whether working for Kronos could truly end any other way.

He struggled to pick himself up, noticing immediately a group of worried campers headed towards him. Silena and Annabeth were leading the pack.

"Percy!" shouted Annabeth. "Are you okay?"

He dove desperately to shield Annabeth from the body, hoping he could hide the carnage. Something in the back of his mind told him it was the right thing to do- they had loved each other once, anyways. But Annabeth grasped Percy's body as he nodded yes weakly, and when she saw the body, she pushed him aside to get a closer view.

"Gods, he's finally dead," she said. Her eyes began to tear up a little, but she closed them and dragged Percy towards the Big House.

As she struggled to carry him, he noticed out of the corner of his eye Silena, staring at the body.

She turned towards him. "Percy?"

 _Oh gods…_

"Percy?"

 _Silena, please don't-_

"Where… where is Charlie?"

"I… I haven't seen him, Silena?"

Annabeth violently shoved his body away from Silena, hiding her from his eyesight. But he heard her knees thump to the ground. He heard the terrible wails emanating from the sandy beach as Annabeth pulled him away. A protective hand covered his ears and cradled his head.

He blacked out for a moment, but woke up at the foot of the Big House, still in her arms. She placed Percy in Mr. D's favorite rocking chair, but for once the god did not care. Chiron raced out holding ambrosia, but his vision began to fade.

He was flying through the clouds, on a crew with Odysseus. They were headed towards the Sirens, and the men around Odysseus had the wax in their ears. And then they began to sing. And while Percy watched in horror as they ran towards the Sirens, enchanted as they pulled out their wax, he remained unaffected.

The scene changed. A forest of red and black magma trees surrounded him and Silena, and they opened the door of a strangely-placed cottage, a kindly man with glasses welcoming them inside. Percy recognized her uncle.

Once more, he found himself somewhere else. Beneath the labyrinth, Percy could see Daedalus mourning over his son, Icarus, and then an image appearing to him. He could not, however, make out the image.

Then, flames surrounded him. Olympus, in the depths of a great fire. Kronos watched the blaze, grinning. He turned to Percy.

"Join me, Perseus Jackson. I will help you do this."

"Are you real?" he asked.

Kronos laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know?" And then, in a bout of flames, he disappeared.

Athena rose from the ashes of Olympus. "YOU DID THIS!"

"I didn't!"

"DON'T YOU DARE REFUSE!"

"I swear!" he said. He broke down into tears, but they only made the fires burn that much brighter.

She shot him a cold look with her steely gray eyes, and yelled boisterously, "MAN, THAT WEED WAS GOOD! YOU WANT SOME?"

Percy froze. "What?"

He felt hands shaking his body back to consciousness, and a slightly obnoxious voice in his ear.

"Jeez, Louis, you really need some," said a girl with long, dark hair and weird necklaces. "I assure you, this is quality stuff, man!"

"Who the Hell are you?"

"Name's Grace!" she said. "Ah, but you probably know me as 'creepy bag of bones'. No offense taken- I get it a lot."

"What?"

"A little bit of self-deprecating humor, Percy," she said, casually sliding next to him on his infirmary bed. She picked at the petals of a flower. "It's nice, right? Oh, there I go again- sorry, I'll be clear this time." She leaned close to him, her pupils bold and dark. "I. AM. THE. ORACLE. OF. DELPHI. Or Camp Half-Blood, technically speaking. The point is, I'm that creepy lady you were always scared to see up in the attic."

"That's ridiculous!" said Percy, wincing as he sat up. "You're supposed to be dead!"

"Hey, Chiron didn't like when you said that, why would I? I mean, I'm not an obnoxious pedant, so I don't mind, but seriously- pick up some manners."

"Prove that you're the Oracle, and I'll believe you!"

"Well I can't just read prophecy on demand!" she said, a little peeved. "Jeez, you're demanding!"

The, she dropped to the floor, her eyes went green, and she starting convulsing. Percy scrunched back in his bed. He'd been convinced- he didn't want to find out what a live Oracle was like, though.

Too late. She jumped up, grabbed his legs, and stared down the bravery of his soul. It lost the staring contest pretty damned quickly.

 _DARKNESS AWAITS THE SON OF THE SEA,_

 _IF HE TAKE UP THE FORBIDDEN DEGREE_

 _AND SEEK OUT THE TEACHER LOCKED TO THE SKY_

 _BUT HE WOULD DEFEAT THE LORD OF TIME._

 _THE GODS WILL FEAR HIS VERY FOOTSTEPS_

 _HEED MY WORDS TO AVOID THESE THREATS_

 _LOVE FILLED WITH PASSION CRUMBLES WITH WORDS_

 _THE FALL OF OLYMPIANS TAKES PLACE IN THIRDS_

 _FOR HE'LL DRIVE THE SPEAR DEEP INTO THEIR HEARTS_

 _AND UNLOCK THE BEAST WITH THE DEADLIEST ARTS_

 _WHAT HAPPENS THEN, ASKS YOU OF THE WATER?_

 _IT IS UP TO YOU: PEACE OR SLAUGHTER._

Her head fell down between his knees, and the door to the infirmary burst open. He looked up to see Annabeth standing there with flowers and she screamed.

"It's not what it looks like, I swear!" said Percy. Retrospectively, he didn't think that helped.

"YOU'RE CHEATING ON ME WITH A HIPPIE AND SMOKING WEED?"

"No," said Percy, breathing heavily. "This is Grace. She's the Oracle! She was delivering a prophecy!"  
"I'll give you a prophecy, Percy!" said Annabeth, angrily marching towards him. She punched him in the gut. "We're through-

 _DAUGHTER OF WISDOM, HEED MY WARNING,_

 _HATE WILL FALL ON YOU ONE TERRIBLE MORNING_

 _YOUR MOTHER'S WORDS WILL PLACATE YOUR SOUL_

 _AND RIP INTO SHREDS THE WORLD SO DROLL_

 _REMEMBER YOU ARE THE KEY WHO UNLOCKS THE LOCK_

 _AS THE TIMER TICKS ON THE DOOMSDAY CLOCK._

Grace fell to the floor, clearly passed out.

"I'm sorry for punching you," said Annabeth. And then, for good measure, she added, "Unless you smoked any of the weed."

"I didn't smoke the weed!" shouted Percy.

"Well it looked pretty shady, you have to admit!"

"That doesn't mean you needed to punch me in the gut!"

"Whatever! Gods! I was so worried about you, and I came in, and it was like, all for naught! You don't even understand what was-

"Um... am I interrupting something?"

They both looked at Nico, and in unison said, "YES!"

He smiled. "That's cute- you're in sync!"

"Damn it all to Hell, Nico, go cultivate a garden or something!" said Percy.

"Percy," whispered Annabeth. "Don't go there."

"Eh, I'll live," said Nico. "No need to be so... CANDID... AYYYYY!"

"Can I make fun of his crush now?"

"Please, go ahead."

"Alright, alright," said Nico. "I came to say hi... and with an offer."

"An offer?" asked Percy.

"My father wants to bet on you," said Nico. "He's worried that Kronos is getting too desperate, and he thinks he'll attack Hades next. He wants me to help you get into the Styx and gain power."

"That sounds dangerous," said Annabeth. "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm not gonna pretend you can't die," said Nico. "But the offer stands."

Percy looked at the bandages on his arms. "I can't afford to get so beaten up if I'm supposed to be the one to defeat Kronos, Annabeth," said Percy.

"Alright," said Annabeth, squeezing his hand. "Just. Don't. Die."

"Not planning on it," said Percy.


	5. Chapter 3: The Taming of the Spook

Chapter 3

The Taming of the Spoo(ky god of the underworld)

"This looks awful terrifying, Nico," said Percy.

"Try living down here," said Nico. "And growing carrots. You ever tried to grow carrots underground? I don't think so."

"Alright, I don't need to hear about your gardening problems. Just get me to your dad."

"I'm working on it, Percy," said Nico. "Ah, here we go. This secret door should lead us right to him!"

They emerged from the dark passage in front of Hades' signature bone-carved gates. Nothing like scenes of death and destruction to brighten up your day. The A-bomb carving really goes nice with the décor.

"Perseus Jackson!" shouted Hades, arms open wide. "What a pleasure!"

"Well, I have to say, thanks for the offer," said Percy. "Not every day you get to jump in the Styx."

Hades guffawed. "Ah, yes, well, please come a little closer, we need to go over a few things. Don't want you wading in and just dying. That would sure be a tragedy they tell for millenia."

"You're... uh... awfully chipper today, Hades."

"It's just a great day!" said Hades, rising from his throne and towering over Percy. "You see Percy Jackson, my son came to me and told me he needed to work on his gardening."

"Nico...

"He said, 'There's this cute girl at camp I like, and she's Demeter's daughter, and I need to raise carrots."

" _Nico_."

"So I said, 'hey son, bring me Percy, I want to let him go into the Styx to'" At this point, Hades chuckled a little, "'GAIN POWER'. And can you believe my son actually trusted me?"

"NICO!"

"Hey, I didn't think he was lying!"

"Oh, Percy, I'm afraid I've played you," said Hades menacingly. "No, you see, I want to rule Olympus. And I'm told if I have a 16 year-old, he can take it over for me. Well Thalia's eternally 15 and 9 months, so she'll never get past her driver's permit... the only one standing in my way of having the child mentioned in the Great Prophecy is you."

"You can't be serious," said Percy. "You're going to kill me?"

"Oh, no, I don't have to get my hands dirty!" said Hades. "All I need to do is lock you in a little room and watch you suffocate!"

"Dad, you can't-

"Shut it, son, you'll understand when you're older!"

"DAD, YOU CAN'T LOCK UP PERCY!"

Hades sighed, shaking his head. "Guards, put Nico in his room! And if you challenge me, NO GARDENING."

"DAD, I DON'T CARE ABOUT FUCKING CARROTS IF YOU'RE JUST GOING TO KILL MY FRIENDS!"

But the skeleton guards dragged him away pretty quickly, and only Percy and Hades remained.

"So, Percy, you can either go easy or- Yeah, that's what I thought."

Percy ran towards the gates, but they rapidly closed on him. He turned as Hades approached, slowly trying to corner him. "You might want to give up!"

"Fuck you!" shouted Percy. He drew Riptide, prepared to fight. He tried to will up some water, but couldn't really feel anything. But Hades backed away, awe on his face.

"Hey, let's not do anything suicidal...

"Suicidal?" asked Percy. "What the Hell are you talking about?"

A drop of water fell next to him. He looked up to see a massive wall of water held still over the bone gates.

"That's... the Styx?"

"How... how do you not even know you're holding up the Styx?"

"I don't know!" He paused, smiling. "So... uh... never been in the Styx before, have you?"

"Percy," said Hades, "Let's not do anything rash."

"Oh, so now I'm the one doing something rash?"

Sweat poured down Hades' face. "Well, considering the fact you are preparing to throw the entire Underworld into wet anarchy by murdering me right now, yes."

"Wouldn't want things to become... awash!"

"How are you threatening me?"

"HEY!"

"Oh, gods, what do you want, Jackson?"

"I want you to swear on the Styx to me," said Percy. "Swear that you'll never try to kill me again... and that you'll be a better dad!"

"Percy, I am happy to never kill you again now that I know you can do that, but I am not a Dad-

"DO IT!"

"I SWEAR ON THE STYX TO NEVER TRY TO KILL YOU AGAIN AND TO BE A BETTER DAD!"

Percy let the water fall all over him, but it didn't touch Hades. It was surprisingly refreshing. Hades, however, had his jaw on the floor.

"How... how did you not just die?"

"I thought the Styx can give you power," said Percy.

"Yeah, if you overcome the massive pain it is! That's literally not possible to feel fine after drenching yourself in the Styx!"

"Well, clearly it's possible for me," said Percy. In the back of his mind, he once again considered Kronos' words, but he pushed it off to mull over later. "Now get Nico in here- I want to talk to him."

"Oh, I am not talking to my son after all that-

"I'm sorry, what river did you swear on?"

Hades said a slew of curses under his breath. "Nico, come down here... please."

"NO! FUCK YOU DAD!" he shouted.

"Nico, I did not kill your friend," said Hades, sighing. "Unfortunately."

Nico cautiously came down the stairs. "Percy, you're alive!"

"Yeah!" said Percy. "You're an idiot! Why the Hell would trust your father, Nico?"

"I'm sorry, it's just I really wanted that garden, and he said unless I got you, I'd be in trouble!"

Percy shook his head. "Well, guess what? You can have two gardens now."

"Hey, being a better father doesn't mean pampering my son. One garden is fine," said Hades.

Nico looked at him pleadingly. "But Dad... it's just a small second one!"

Hades grunted. "Fine. You'll get three."

"Oh my gods, I don't know what you did, but thank you so much, Percy!" said Nico.

"Don't mention it."

"I'm the one who offered you three gardens!" shouted Hades.

"You tried to kill Percy."

"Alright, point taken," said Hades. "Hey, uh... I need to have a word with you, Percy."

"You think I'm going to-

"I already swore not to try to kill you," said Hades. "We can even do it outside the Underworld. Just not near Nico."

Percy studied his face. "Fine."

He grabbed Hades hand, and they disappeared very quickly.

They reappeared in a quaint little park. "Hm... real flowers aren't so bad."

"What do you want, Hades?"

"Well now that I can't kill you, I'd prefer you didn't die," said Hades. "You're my insurance now. So... keep this in mind, Percy. Whatever you do, don't trust anyone... my father, my brothers... and yes, I mean Poseidon. Take it from an old hat, Percy, everyone on Olympus wants something. I'm not the only one who'll try to kill you."

"I realize that," said Percy. "But I've made it this far."

Hades studied him. "I've never seen a boy who can touch the Styx and not die, let alone shrug it off like no big deal."

"So you think I'm strong?"

"Strong? I wouldn't bet against you in a fight with the gods."

"Kronos said something about me being special," said Percy.

Hades shivered. "If my father thinks you're special, he'll probably want to kill you... and everyone you ever knew."

"Okay."

Hades sighed. "Well, you beat me badly, Percy Jackson. I'll... take you back to that stupid camp."

"Right," said Percy. "Let's go."


End file.
